1. Field of the Invention
The invention, in general, relates to a novel incubation method and apparatus therefor and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus of the kind useful in poultry hatcheries for storing and moving eggs for their incubation and subsequent hatching.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
It is common knowledge that for purposes of incubation, eggs are placed on support racks or bins prior to insertion into storage racks or carts. The necessary rotating and turning of the eggs is done by rotating or tilting of the racks within their racks or carts.
A plurality of apparatus have hitherto been proposed with a view to rendering the incubation process as effective as possible.
For example, German Utility Model G 8,617,367.7 discloses an apparatus for turning eggs in a rolling manner and comprising a frame and a support surface which is pervious to a gaseous medium. Within the frame there are provided rounded rotatably mounted shafts spaced from each other at distances corresponding to the size of eggs. By sliding the frame on the pervious surface, the shafts and, hence, the eggs are caused to rotate. The shafts are removed before the eggs are hatched, to provide more space and a planar support surface for the hatched chicks.
The rotary turning apparatus as well as racks or bins operating on the principle of rotary turning and allowing for a practically unlimited angle of rotation are known from their use in small incubation apparatus. However, the known systems suffer from the following disadvantages which inhibit their utilization in large scale incubators.
The round shafts have to be removed from the racks before the chicks hatch.
Furthermore, the smooth shafts used in such apparatus do not provide a definite space for each egg. Proper ventilation of the stack of eggs is inhibited by the supports used for the rotary racks.
Reference is furthermore made to (east) German Patent DD-PS 295,967 which relates to an incubation rack for automatically incubating eggs and in which the eggs, within the incubation rack, are stored or deposited on round shafts provided with rolling elements.
While in such apparatus the location of the eggs is stabilized, i.e. defined, the apparatus suffers from the disadvantage that prior to hatching the eggs must either be removed to a hatching bin or rack, or the roller bin must be placed over a hatching bin. In any event, some kind of handling is required between the incubation and the hatching bins.
Another known system, marketed by a Danish company (Funki), provides for placing eggs into a hatching bin by means of a mesh frame insertable therein. For hatching, the frame is removed. The hatching bins including incubating eggs and mesh frame are rotated or turned in a conventional incubation cart.
This method or system is disadvantageous because of its reduced egg holding capacity as compared to conventional incubation bins and because of the necessary removal of the mesh frame and the changing of the bins onto a hatching cart.